Danny Bryant – The Rage To Survive: Album Review

By Howard King on 24th November 2021 • ( Leave a comment )

Gritty, hard-hitting no-holds-barred blues from UK bluesman Danny Bryant on his latest album.

Release date: 29th October 2021

Label: Jazzhaus Records

Format: CD / vinyl / streaming with several merchandise packages also available

Big, brassy stomping blues with a hard-rocking screaming guitar solo gets the album off to a hearty opening for Rage To Survive. More no-nonsense rollocking blues continues with Danny Bryant’s no frills approach on Trouble With Love. But then a lighter touch shows Danny’s more melodic side as the mournful Invisible Me reflecting a vulnerabilty not seen so far. Three tracks in and I’m experiencing already a high-quality live performance which the late Gary Moore or more recently Joe Bonamassa can deliver.

This is sumptuous blues and it comes on again with Rescue Me, the church organ solo reminiscent of the 60’s blues boom years before that wailing guitar solo is driven on by an incessant driving beat.

Falling Tears has a more stripped-down acoustic flavour with soulful yearning vocals as Danny rips his heart out. Make Me Pay reverts to more hard hitting sound with some twinkling keyboards hidden away but mixes well with the stompy guitar and heavier organ keyboards.

Danny shows he is the master of all styles of blues on Rain Stopped Play in which he can adjust the temperature at will and he even gets the standard “I woke up this morning” into the lyrics. Looking Good features some brassy horns on this lively instrumental stomper with some fuzzy riffs. The tempo is maintained by Till The Bottle Runs Dry before the finale brings this amazing album to a conclusion with the power ballad Westport.

This is good solid well controlled blues from start to finish. It’s tight, dynamic and well-grounded, performed by musicians at the top of their game. Currently touring the Continent we have to wait till the spring when the floor to the Academy in Manchester will be bouncing in March. Danny is up there with the likes of Walter Trout and I hope he can achieve similar longevity in his blues career. Breathless stuff!!